YouTube isn’t just one of the internet’s most visited websites but it’s also among the most important, and that’s now been immortalized in a brand new entry into one of the most celebrated museums.
In contrast to most other social media platforms, you can actually pinpoint what the first YouTube video ever uploaded is, as it was predictably shared by one of the founders.
Titled ‘Me at the zoo’, the video shows Jawed Karim in front of some elephants at San Diego Zoo, as the co-founder explains the how the animal’s long trunks are ‘really cool’ across the 19-second clip.
While it has racked up over 382 million views in the 20+ years since it was first uploaded, this does pale in comparison to many of the most-viewed videos shared on the platform — although its interest largely stems from a historical or preservation standpoint.
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As reported by the BBC, that same video is set to be rightfully preserved and celebrated thanks to a new entry in the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London, allowing visitors to ‘step back in time’ to one of the internet’s most important moments.
Not only will museumgoers be able to watch Jawed’s video during their visit, but they’ll also be able to see the oldest saved iteration of YouTube’s homepage thanks to the snapshots saved on internet archives.
This dates back to December 2006 – some time after Jawed’s video was uploaded in April of the previous year – but even longtime YouTube users will be stunned at quite how different the homepage looks compared to today.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan praised the museum’s preservation efforts, noting: “By reconstructing the original 2005 watchpage, we aren’t just showing a video; we are inviting the public to step back in time to the beginning of a global, cultural phenomenon.”
He continued to assert that “it is a proud moment to see this piece of digital history houses in the V&A where we hope it will inspire generations to come.”
Few websites have had quite the same impact as YouTube over its two-decade-long history, and it has completely changed how we use the internet, creating countless stars in the process.
“The acquisition opens new storytelling opportunities for us to showcase and explore the ways in which the internet has shaped our world,” illustrates Corinna Gardner, senior curator of design and digital at the V&A.
“From the bird of mainstream video sharing platforms through to today’s hyper visual world and the media and creator economy that go with it.”